At least three people were shot dead and four were injured during a mass shooting in Maryland on Thursday afternoon.
The shooting occurred in Smithsburg, a rural township with a population of 3,000 and located 70 miles north of Washington, D.C., at 2:30 PM, when a gunman opened fire inside the Columbia Machine Factory, a concrete products company.
Sergeant Carly Hose, spokesperson for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that six individuals had been shot, with three being pronounced dead at the scene and three being taken to hospital, where one is now in critical condition. She also said that the suspect was “no longer a threat to the public.”
A video posted by multiple users on Twitter, taken by local resident, shows a subject running from the police. The sound of gunfire can be heard as the resident cries “shots fired”.
On-scene video: Mass shooting at Smithsburg, Maryland manufacturing plant. Multiple fatalities, multiple injuries. Suspect has been shot. This story is developing. pic.twitter.com/W4sF6iwqwa
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) June 9, 2022
The suspect had initially fled from the factor before they were pursued by police.
Hose said that a state police trooper had found the shooter in a ditch and wounded him after an exchange of gunfire, with the trooper being shot in the shoulder. It was reported that the trooper had been airlifted to the Meritus Medical Center.
News helicopters covering the area showed a crime scene cordoned off by police on the road adjacent to the factor, where a red sedan had been hit by an unmarked police SUV. It is unclear as to whether the vehicles belong to the state trooper or the shooter.
Eyewitnesses have reported that local, state, and federal law enforcement officials are presently on the scene. The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms said that agents from its Baltimore field office had been dispatched to the scene.
In a press conference on Covid-19, Maryland governor Larry Hogan said that at least three people had been killed, though he did not have further information.
Representative David Trone (D., Md.) and Senator Chris van Hollen (D., Md.) both tweeted they were monitoring the situation. However, Trone’s office in Hagerstown, Md., located a few miles from the shooting, said it was unable to provide National Review with any information about the shooting.
Contrary to earlier reports, the shooter is alive and was transported to a nearby hospital after being captured by police.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information is obtained.